McGilliviray seeks District 7 Midland County Commission seat

Published 5:00 am, Monday, July 23, 2012

Retirement means having the freedom to choose activities. For long-time Midland resident Dan McGillivray, that choice has been in politics.

"I've always lived for God, family and country," said McGillivray. "I told my wife that for the next four years, it was going to be God, country and family. I'm going to spend a lot of time digging into stuff that I've never done before."

After serving as a Republican precinct delegate, McGillivray has stepped up to the challenge of running for a seat on the Midland County Board of Commissioners in District 7. He faces fellow Republican Jake Howard in the Aug. 7 primary with the winner squaring off against Democrat Richard Fairley on Nov. 6 in the general election.

"I'm a Republican because that is one of two parties you can get elected in," said McGillivray. "I'm a conservative, a constitutionalist. I just want to be fair."

The 70-year-old retired from Craft Accounting Services in the late 1990s.

"I was an accountant for Craft Services for Dow with a $3 million a month budget," said McGillivray. "I had the responsibility to say where the money is going and how we could save money the next year."

Since deciding to run for commissioner, the process has been one of learning.

"I've learned what commissioners are about and attended as many meetings as I can," he said. "I've been out knocking on doors. I'm excited. The citizens need to know who they are putting into office. It is their responsibility. Too often, I've heard, 'You are the first county commissioner to ever knock on my door.'"

Community safety would be at the top of McGillivray's priorities, including finding funding to increase the sheriff office road patrol.

"That's' terrible what happened," he said regarding cuts to the sheriff's office. "We need to get the road patrol and the staff of the (Midland County Jail) built back up."

Those staffing levels are a serious concern.

"I was talking to my neighbor, who works nights at the jail," said McGillivray. "He mentioned the larger room where they have a large number of people with cameras watching them. I asked him, 'How many people does he have out there at night?' He said, 'Five.' How many can leave their post and go in and check that room if a fight started? He said, 'Three.'"

That realization seriously concerned McGillivray, who serves as treasurer for the local tea party organization, We the People of Mid Michigan.

"If there are more than a dozen men in that room and there is a ruckus, I'm not sure I would like to be one of the three walking into that room," he said. "How can we provide for the safety of the prisoners when we can't go in and do something about it?"

Not only safety at the jail concerns McGillivray, but also night-time road patrols.

"I think we have two or three on duty during the nighttime," he said. "I would think that is when we have the most domestic disputes when people come home from the bar. And that is the most dangerous situation for our law enforcement to go into. They say you handcuff the man and the woman starts beating the cop and says, 'Leave my husband alone.'"

McGillivray and his wife of 16 years, Deborah, have six children between them.

With four millages on the ballot, what does McGillivray think about proposals?

"There are things that we need in this county and we need to find reasonable ways to pay for them," he said. "If we can't pay for them, then do we want to raise taxes, or some other way to allow us to pay for them?"

He believes the county is being fiscally responsible.

"I'm impressed with (the county commissioners') concern for finances," said McGillivray. "They are very cognizant of spending other people's money. Sometimes you need to ask for a millage increase and let the people decide if they want services. It the people are willing to support a millage, that is fine."